Current pin pallets are configured with a frame and a plurality of perpendicularly extending pins. These pins are permanently welded into place for the purpose of holding shaped blank metal sheets that are to be stamped. The pallet is used to move the metal blanks from a storage location, or manufacturing station, to another location. The pins are positioned on the pallets so as to precisely position the metal blanks to allow for stamping equipment or robots to easily select one metal sheet for placement in a stamping machine. Accordingly, for different shaped metal blanks, a unique pin pallet is required with appropriately positioned pins to keep the metal blanks from shifting during movement from one location to another.
When a particular sized metal blank is no longer used in the manufacturer of a certain item, the pin pallet must be scrapped or re-worked to reconfigure placement of the metal pins into an appropriate position. A further drawback of the current pin pallet configuration is that when the pallets are not in use they take up valuable storage space in view of their size and profile.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for pin pallets which are re-configurable to various stamping shapes and sizes and also which are easily stored when not in use.